The Rotary Club of Springfield installed the city’s first Peace Pole on Tuesday, the 140th anniversary of Springfield’s incorporation.
During the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Bob Keefer Center, Springfield Rotary past president Rae LaMarche said the Peace Pole Project started in Japan after World War II, and that each of the 250,000 poles worldwide carries the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth.”
“The project helps communities engage in and celebrate peace, raise cultural awareness and honor local identity," LaMarche said. "The languages on our Peace Pole represent the eight most prominent languages in the Springfield School District.”
The languages are listed on a plaque below the pole. They are: English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Hindi, Vietnamese, and Tagalog.
Eric Adams, Willamalane’s Planning, Parks and Facilities Director, said the language of the Marshall Islands— Marshallese—would have been on the monument, but the engravers didn’t offer it as a choice.
Springfield Mayor Sean VanGordon acknowledged the world may feel a little chaotic right now, and said the pole is a good reminder to focus on peace locally.
